Chapters 5 and 6 Summary

In Chapter 5, over the last few weeks of October, Doug gets in numerous fights and near fights in and out of school. For the instances in school, he gets detention and is threatened with suspension. The last Saturday in October is the family company picnic for the paper mill, which Mr. Swieteck makes the family go to because there is a trivia contest about baseball and Doug's father knows everything there is to know about Babe Ruth. When the family arrives at the picnic, two women sweep away Mrs. Swieteck to meet some of the other wives and the boys receive a Timex watch from the company.

While the contestants are gathering for the trivia contest, Doug is tossing horseshoes. A man comes by and tries to give him a quick lesson on how to toss horseshoes. Then the man asks...